Coin separator



, Nov. 26, 1940.

W. A. TRATSCH COIN SEPARATOR Filed May 26, 1959 H15 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26, 11940 com SEPARATOR Walter A. Tratsch, Chicago, Ill.Application May 26, 1939, Serial No. 275,878

4 Claims.

This invention relates to coin separating devices for use with coinchutes or coin-controlled apparatus. An important object of theinvention is the provision of a separator having a single 6 coinentrance for the reception of coin elements of a plurality ofdenominations, and means for separating said coin elements according todenomination and guiding the same into certain passages.

A further object is the provision of deflecting means arranged withrespect to selective coin openings to deflect proper coin elements intothe corresponding passage or to yield to permit coin elements ofdifierent denomination to continue movement toward other selectiveopenings and deflectors.

Another object is the provision of a simple and inexpensivelyconstructed coin separator especially suited for use with upright cointesting devices adapted to discharge coin elements from a lower regionthereof into a coin receptacle disposed below the testing device andsubstantially in the same vertical plane as the testing device, wherebyspace may be conserved and effective separation of the differentdenominations of coin accomplished.

A further and more specific object is the provision of a coin separatorwhich includes a down- 3 wardly inclined chute section having anentrance at its upper end adapted to underlie a coin testing device forreception of coins from the latter, the chute section having a dischargeopening at its lower end and a plurality of exit openings of differentwidth between its ends and through which coin elements of difierentdiameter, corresponding to different denominations, may fall.

The invention further provides for a plurality of downwardly inclinedchute sections, one for each 40 denomination of coin and communicatingfrom the proper coin opening in the main chute so as to discharge allcoins into a common receptacle.

A further object is the provision of gravityoperated deflecting leversin the main separating chute, there being one lever for each coinopening and each lever having an arm portion normally disposed acrossthe chute passage to overlie a corresponding discharge opening, theoverlying portions of the lever arms being beveled proper diameter intothe corresponding discharge opening, coin elements having a diameter toolarge to permit passage through any given opening, pivoting thedeflecting levers out of the way for continued movement until they reachan to assist in the deflection of coin elements of opening large enoughfor passage from the separating chute.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain detailsof construction, as well as the arrangement of parts of the preferred 5embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawing, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the separator mounted for cooperationwith a testing device and coin receptacle;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the separator along line 2-2 ofFig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is a section through the separating chute looking in thedirection of line 3-3 of Fig. 2'

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top perspective view of the separating chutesection with the cover plate removed;

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective view of one of the deflecting dogs.

In Fig. 1, the separator is used in conjunction with a coin testingdevice 10 having an exit H in its lower regionand through which acceptedcoin elements are ejected. To the right of the acceptance exit is adischarge exit 12 for slugs or imperfect coins. Aligned with the rejectexit is a reject chute l3 terminating in an inclined apron M whichdirects coin elements not accepted back to the patron through a wall ofthe cabinet or other housing in which the apparatus is mounted.

Accepted coin elements from the exit H are ultimatelydirected into areceptacle IS in which is situated control mechanism in the form of aplurality of switches (not seen) adapted to be actuated by coins ofvarying denomination to control some instrumentality, such as a vendingmechanism or automatic phonograph mechanism, in accordance with thevalue of the coin deposited. Ifdosired'however, the receptacle It: maysimply have a plurality of compartments in which the accepted coins areto be distributed in accordance with their respective values. p.

The invention is concerned particularly with the provision of means forseparating the coins according to denomination and guiding the same intocertain positions for operation of certain switches in the receptaclel5, or into separate compartments in such a receptacle.

The separating mechanism includes a downwardly inclined separating chutesection l6 having an entrance opening I! at its upper end and positionedbeneath the acceptance exit I I of the testing device. The lower end ofthe chute section l6 opens into an oppositely inclined chute section I 3into which coins of the largest denomination, in this instancetwenty-five cent pieces, are delivered. Coins of lesser denominationincluding five and ten cent pieces, are discharged from the section I6into other downwardly inclined chutes leading from positions beneathdischarge openings in the bottom of the section l6. All of theseparating chutes ultimately lead into different parts of the receptaclel5.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the separating chute section It consists of abottom member or plate I3, which may be cast or stamped with oppositeraised longitudinal flange portions 20 and 2|. In other terms, the plateI9 is channeled in the direction of its length, and the bottom of thechannel extends beyond the side flanges thereof at the upper end of theplate to provide a lip 22 which underlies the exit II from the testingdevice and cooperates with an offset part of the cover plate to deflnethe entrance H to the separator chute.

Situated between the upper angl iower ends of the channeled plate l9 area plurality of separating openings 23 and 24, the former of which is ofa width adequate to permit a coin having the diameter of a dime to dropthrough the bottom of the chute and into a downwardly directed deliverychute 26 which is angled as at 21 to enter the receptacle I! at a sidethereof to the right of the entrance of the remaining delivery chutes,including the section ll.

The opening 24 is of a width adequate to permit a coin having thediameter of a flve cent piece to drop therethrough and into a middledelivery chute 23, the lower end of which enters the top of thereceptacle I! just behind the quarter delivery chute I 3. The upper endportions of the several delivery chutes 23 and 23 are secured to theunder side of the channel plate I3 by any convenient means such as spotwelding, etc., while the upper end of the quarter chute I3 is attachedto the lower end of the separator chute by means such as the screws 29which are threaded into suitable bosses 33 at the lower end of thesection Ii. At its lower end the quarter chute I3 is secured by screws3| threaded into bosses 32 on the top of the receptacle l5. Thus, theentire separator unit may be supported by the attachment of the quarterdelivery chute II to the top of the receptacle. The lower ends of thenickel and dime chutes 26 and 23 may also aflord support.

The channeled bottom plate I! of the main separator section is closed bya cover plate 34 in which there may be sight openings 35 aligned withthe intermediate coin separating openings 23 and 24, this plate beingheld in position by means such as the screws 33 threaded into the flangeportions 23 and 2| of the bottom plate.

The upper end of the cover plate has an offset extension 31 whichcooperates with the lip 22 on the bottom plate to deflne the entrancescoop or mouth I! receiving coins from the testing unit.

Means for effecting positive movement of proper coin elements throughthe several selector openings 23 and24 includes the provision of leversor dogs 43, pivoted as at 4| in suitable aged by the coin in slidingdown the chute. If

the coin is of a size which will pass through the opening 23, forexample, the edge portions of the coin nearest the corresponding dogwill work beneath the beveled edge portion 45 thereof while 1 at thesame time slightly pivoting the dog, with the result that the edgeportion of the coin nearest the dog, that is, opposite the flange 23,will be positively guided down into the opening 23, so that the coingravitates free of the section l6, and in the case of a dime passingthrough the opening 23, moves into the corresponding delivery chute 26for passage into the receptacle l5.

If the coin happens to be a five cent piece, it will pivot the upper dog43at opening 23 out of its way and continue toward the opening 24 tofall through the latter and into the delivery chute 23, the lower dog 43cooperating to expedite the movement of the five cent piece through theopening 24, as described in connection with the operation of the upperdog.

A twenty-five cent piece will pivot both dogs 43 out of its way, andbeing of larger diameter, glides safely past both openings 23 and 24 fordischarge into the delivery chute l3.

It is not intended that the invention should be limited to the precisearrangement described in detail in the foregoing specification, exceptas may be provided in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a separating chute having asubstantially flat bottom with a coin entrance at one end thereof, saidchute being adapted for mounting with said entrance uppermost and to beinclined so that said bottom will be tilted to cause coin elements tomove face down thereon from said entrance, a series of drop-out openingsof increasing width being arranged along said bottom below said entranceso that coin elements moving down said bottom will pass through openingsof appropriate width, and means for effecting positive movement of coinelements through appropriate discharge openings, said means including adog pivoted at one side of each of said openings and yieldingly disposedin a normal position, each dog having an arm projected into a normalcoinengaging position over the corresponding opening for movement in aplane substantially parallel with said bottom into and out of normalposition responsive to pivotal movement of the dog, each of said dogsbeing arranged to yield for movement out of normal position as aforesaidto permit passage of a coin element past the corresponding drop-outopening if said element is too large to drop through said opening, eachof said arms on the dogs having a beveled edge portion disposed forengagement by the advance portions of coin elements moving toward saidexit and pitched to deflect coin elements into the correspondingopenings if said elements are of a diameter to pass through saidopenings.

2. In a coin separator, an. elongated downwardly inclined separatingchute having an entrance at its upper end and a substantially flatbottom; said chute being disposed so that coin elements may slide facedown on said bottom toward the lower parts thereof, said chute alsobeing inclined so thatone longitudinal side is lower 5 than the other sothat the rim portion of said coin elements will tend to bear or rollagainst said lower longitudinal side, said chute having a series ofdrop-out openings arranged along said bottom below said entrance, saiddrop-out openings being of relatively increasing width crosssaid lowerlongitudinal side thereof, each dog being pivoted by gravity into anormal position and each having a coin engaging arm normally projectingover the corresponding drop-out open- 25 ing for engagement with theleading edge portion of descending coin elements, each arm being adaptedto be pushed out of the way of any such coin element which'is of adiameter too large to pass through the corresponding open- 30 ing, eachof the arms having a beveled edge portion positioned for engagement bythe leading edge portion of a descending coin in a manner to cause saidcoin to tend to work beneath the arm toward the corresponding drop-outopen- 35 ing for deflection through the latter provided such coin is ofa diameter to'permit movement through the opening.

3. In a coin segregator of the type including a downwardly inclinedchute section having a 0 bottom upon which coin elements slide face downtoward a lower end of said section and a plurality of intermediate exitsof diflerent width and through which coin elements of corresponding orlesser width are adapted to pass in sliding down the chute section, thecombination with said chute section and exits of means for ef- '5fecting movement of proper coin elements into corresponding exits, saidmeans comprising a dog including a coin engaging arm mounted to pivot inparallelism with the plane of the bottom of said chute section above oneof said exits there- 10 in, means yieldably urging said arm into aposition over the corresponding exit for engagement with a coin slidingdown said bottom, said arm being provided with a beveled edge portionengaged by said coin, said beveled edge being pitched in a directiongenerally toward the corresponding exit whereby to guide a coin engagingsaid beveled edge in a direction toward said exit, said dog yielding topermit coin elements too large to pass through the corresponding exit tocontinue down the chute section.

4. In a coin segregator of the type including a downwardly inclinedchute section having a bottom on which coins slide on one face and anexit of a width adapted to permit the passage therethrough of a coinelement of a given or less than given diameter, the combination of meansfor guiding coin elements of appropriate diameter into said exit, saidmeans comprising an arm mounted to pivot in a plane in substantialparallelism with said bottom into and out of position projecting oversaid exit, said arm having an edge portion pitched in a directiongenerally toward said exit and disposed to be engaged by the edge of acoin sliding down the chute to tilt said coin into said exit, meansyieldably urging said am into a normal position across said exit, saidarm yielding to permit passage therepast of a coin element too large tomove into said exit.

WALTER A. TRATSCH.

